Two Blue Lines
by englishtiger
Summary: First Fic! Claire is shocked. There was no way in Hell that she could be pregnant. They were always careful, they always used protection. But it didn't work. And now they'd have to face the consequences. Layton x Claire.
1. 1: Discovery

**Hi! I'm englishtiger, welcome to my first ever fanfic. There are very few LaytonXClaire pregnancy stories out there so I thought that I might give it a try. So anyway, hope you enjoy the story!**

Shocked, I stared at the stick in my hands. There had to be a mistake! It couldn't be _me_ in this situation. I'm sensible. I know better. I'm _careful_. I looked down again into my hands again.

'So?' Brenda asked. Her voice was wracked with curiosity.

I gulped. 'Positive'.

'Oh, Claire,' she cried, wrapping her arms around me. 'What are you going to do?'

'I don't know. I've never thought about it. I've never thought that it would be me in this position.'

Brenda sighed. 'You have a while to make up your mind before it starts to show… are you going to tell him?'

'Yes. No. I don't know." I shook my head, overwhelmed.

'Well either way you have to make a decision. I'm going for a shower.' Brenda stood up and left the room we shared.

The flat was provided by the university. We had for other students in separate rooms, and we all shared a living room and a kitchen. We didn't have a bathroom, just a toilet and sink in a small room. We shared a large shower room with the rest of the girls on our floor.

When Brenda left the room, I finally looked up from my hands. How could this have happened? Hershel and I had only… done it a handful of times, and every time we made sure we used protection. But, obviously it hadn't worked.

I looked down again. The test _couldn't_ be right. It wasn't possible. I couldn't be pregnant.

**Sorry that's it's so short! So what did you think? Loved it? Hated it? Review if you think I should continue.**

**englishtiger**

**xxxxx**


	2. 2: Of Omelettes and Revelations

**Hey guys! Thanks to those who read and put this story in their favourites! But none of you are reviewing… why? It's not hard; you just click that little box at the bottom of the screen... But anyway, on with the story!**

_I am sat down in the on-campus café with Hershel. His hands are reaching over the table and holding mine. I gulp._

'_What is it, Claire?' he asks me tenderly, rubbing the back of my hands._

'_I… I don't know how to tell you this.' I sigh. 'Hershel, I'm pregnant.'_

_I focus on his face, searching for a reaction. His expression is stony, but his eyebrows had shot up half a mile. He is silent for a moment or two, but then he speaks up._

'_It's not mine,' he states simply, dropping my hands so they lie lifelessly on the table._

'_What? I don't understand.'_

'_You heard me Claire. It's not mine. It can't be mine. We used protection.'_

_I begin to stutter. 'I-I know we did, b-but it didn't work!'_

_Sighing, he shakes his head. 'You can keep on telling yourself that, but deep down, you know that's it isn't mine. And you know that you are nothing but a slut.'_

_He stands up, grabs his bag and walks towards the café door._

'_Hershel!' I cry out, standing up and scurrying after him. 'Hershel, wait! I never slept with anyone else! It's yours._

_I can feel everyone in the café staring at me as I run after him through the door. But it's too late. He's already in that battered old red car, driving away. _

_Somewhere behind me I hear someone yelling my name. I assume that it's someone who had just witnessed the scene in the café and ignore it. I didn't have the strength to answer to anyone. Hershel had left me pregnant and I would have to face the music alone._

'_Claire!' _

_The voice is both louder and closer now, but still I ignore it._

'_Claire!'_

'Claire! Wake up, for goodness sakes!' Brenda said, shaking me awake.

I opened my eyes and sat up on my bed. 'What? What time is it?'

'It's nearly nine. But we don't have lesson till twelve.' She added after seeing my panicked expression.

I yawned into my hand and brushed my hair out of my face. 'Then why did you wake me up?'

She walked over to the mirror and began to brush her hair. 'We're meeting Clark and Hershel for breakfast, remember?'

'Oh. Of course, how could I have forgotten?' Tiredly, I pulled myself up out of bed and walked over to my wardrobe.

'You know,' Brenda added as soon as my back was turned. 'I could go on a walk or something with Clark whilst you and Hershel have a little chat about… things.'

I could feel her eyes resting on my flat stomach as she said the last part. I shook my head. 'I don't know, Bren. Don't you think that it's a little soon to tell him? I mean, _we_ only found out yesterday!'

I heard Brenda snort and I could picture her shaking her head at me in disbelief. 'I think that the sooner you tell him the better.'

I remained silent and pushed the thought of telling Hershel to the back of my head. I picked out my clothes – a navy long sleeve top under a pale blue pinafore and got ready to meet up with the boys.

Half an hour later, Brenda and I were stood outside the same café that had been in my dream, waiting for the boys. I spotted Hershel's rickety old car driving round the bend. It amazed me that he had got his license, seeing as he drove as though he was in the middle of a police chase.

'Sorry we're late, Hershel nearly knocked over some elderly woman and we had to stop and apologize,' Clark explained when he got out of the car, obviously holding the same opinion as me when it came to Hershel's driving.

'Clark, my friend, I thought you would know by now: manners cost nothing but are worth everything,' Hershel scolded him as he climbed out of the other side of the car.

I strolled over to him and gave him a peck on the lips. 'That's my Hershel, always a gentleman.'

'We ought to go inside,' Clark stated, holding Brenda in his arms. 'It looks like rain.'

The café was nearly deserted; most people already had lessons and had already been and gone. We easily found a table for four. I sat next to Brenda and across from Hershel. I grabbed a menu and began to scan it.

A woman in a checked apron came up to us.

'May I take your order, dearies?'

'Full English breakfast, please,' Hershel said.

'Same as him,' Clark nodded, without looking up from his menu.

'Pancakes with strawberries and cream,' Brenda said with a smile.

'Ham and cheese omelette, please,' I said, placing my menu down on the table.

The woman wrote down our orders and left the table. Brenda turned to Clark yet made eye contact with me when she said: 'So, Clark, I was thinking that we could go for a walk around the grounds, you know? Just the two of us?'

I glared at her. 'Are you sure that's a good idea, Bren?'

She looked at me innocently. 'Why wouldn't it be, Claire dear?'

Clark shook his head. 'No, we ought to stay here. We've already ordered food.'

Brenda stood up and pulled Clark up with her. 'Don't be ridiculous, darling. You need some fresh air, seeing as you never walk _anywhere_. I'm sure that Claire and Hershel will find something to talk about, won't you?'

She turned to Hershel and me for a response. Hershel nodded at her politely, whereas I just glared.

'See, come on now.' She pulled Clark away from the table to the door. 'Goodbye, Hershel. Goodbye, Claire.'

Brenda winked at me and then left the café, dragging a distraught Clark behind her, leaving me alone with Hershel. When the door closed behind them I turned to Hershel.

'Well, that was… odd,' he said, a confused look on his face.

I nodded slowly. 'Yes. Very.'

Suddenly, Hershel regained his posture. 'So, I've not had the chance to ask. What have you been up to recently?'

'Hershel,' I said nervously. 'I have something important to tell you.'

Before he had a chance to respond, the woman in the apron came up to us again, carrying a tray with four plates.

'Here's your foo- where are those other two?'

'Oh, they've just ran off somewhere, I'm sure they'll be back soon,' I told her. 'Just put their plates down on the table.'

She shrugged and began to put the plates down.

'Anyway, what is it, Claire?' Hershel asked me as the waitress put his plate down in front of him.

'You, see, Hershel, I'm…'

The waitress put my omelette in front of me. The scent of the egg and cheese floated up my nose and I felt my stomach churn.

'Oh, God,' I groaned. I leaped out of my seat and sprinted into the women's toilets, ran into a cubicle and was sick into the toilet. I finally felt my stomach rest and I leaned against the wall of the cubicle.

'Hello?' called a voice from the other side of the door. 'Are you alright, dearie?' It was the waitress.

I opened the door. 'I-I'm fine, thank you,' I reassured her. 'Just a bit poorly, is all.'

She helped me up. 'That young man you were with is stood outside. He seems awful worried about you.'

She led me out of the toilets back to the dining area, where Hershel was stood waiting.

'Claire!' He exclaimed, and I fell into his arms. 'Thank you,' he said to the waitress, who nodded at him.

'It's fine, young man.'

Hershel looked down at me. He was holding me up with his arms and I was resting my head heavily on his shoulder.

'I'm taking you back to your dorm and you aren't going to your lessons until you recover.' He paid the waitress for our food and half helped and half carried me to his car. Carefully, he leaned me into the passenger seat, put my seat belt on and closed the door. A moment later, he was in the driver seat, driving us (unsteadily) away from the café.

Resting my head against the window, I began to sob.

Hershel turned to me. 'Claire? Claire, darling what is it.'

I wiped my tears away and turned to face him. A look of genuine worry was plastered across his face. He was worried about me. He cared about me. He loved me. He would stick by me, no matter what happened.

'Hershel, I'm pregnant.'

**DUN, DUN, DUUUUUNNNNNNNN! Got to love a cliff-hanger XD So what did you think? Loved it? Hated it? Review and tell me… unless you want Flora to send you some of her special homemade risotto… Oh and by the way, I hate the name of this story! Anyone got any better ideas, send me one!**

**englishtiger**

**xxxx**


	3. 3: Reactions

**Hiya Guys! Sorry for not updating – Every single teacher at my school finds themselves obligated to give me two hours' worth of homework per lesson. I typed up the first half of this about half an hour after posting the last chapter, but didn't finish it until today after drama, which is why I am posting it at like 1am.**

**Random Comment: I find Brenda the easiest to write about because her character wasn't delved into in the games, so I can make her whoever I want her to be. So I made her very bold and unsubtle.**

**So, anyway, here's chapter 3!**

'_Claire? Claire, darling, what is it?'_

'_Hershel, I'm pregnant.'_

Hershel was quiet for a few moments, and he pulled the car over to the side of the road. In his face I could see several emotions: worry, anxiety, and most of all, confusion. He finally spoke up.

'That isn't possible. We used protection, remember.' Hershel said, still looking confused.

I looked down at my lap. 'I know, but the condom must have broken. I took a test, and it came out positive. I'm pregnant.' I sobbed pitifully. 'Please don't leave me.'

I was still looking at my lap, so I couldn't see if his face showed any emotion, any hint to what he was thinking. I thought for sure that he would reject me, tell me to get out of his car, ask for me never to speak to him again, but what he said next put a stop to all of those thoughts.

'Why would I leave you?' He asked. 'A gentleman would never abandon those he loved, especially if they were _pregnant_.'

I perked my head up. 'You're… You're not going to leave me?'

Hershel sighed and pulled me into his arms. 'No! Claire, I love you and… and I'll stick by you, no matter what you decide to do. H-Have you thought about it?'

I snuggled into his side. 'You mean have I considered an abortion? I've pretty much considered everything at this point, but I'm nowhere near a decision.'

'We could go to one of those family planning centres **(or as American people call it, centers)**. They discuss _all_ of your options and help you make your choice.' Hershel suggested, stroking my shoulder.

I sniffled. 'That sounds like a good idea. Where's the nearest one?'

'There's one here in Gressenheller. I can book us an appointment?' Hershel said.

'That would be nice.' I nodded into his shoulder.

I had to get back into my own seat so that Hershel could drive us back to my dorm. Thankfully, it was only a short journey – everything in Gressenheller was very close, probably to make it easier for students who couldn't drive (which was pretty much all of them) to get around. We were outside my dorm within minutes.

The door to the dorm was locked so I knew that Brenda hadn't come back from her 'walk' yet. Anne and Sabrina (two of the four other girls who lived in my dorm) were away at some festival in Edinburgh and Nancy and Maria would be at lessons by now. I checked the time on my wristwatch.

'Hershel, its half past twelve! We're late for lessons!' I exclaimed.

He remained calm. 'We're not going in. I think that you've had a tiring day already: being sick in a café and announcing your pregnancy. You're staying here and I'm going to look after you. Now, you sit down and I'll make us some tea.'

Obediently, I made my way over to the sofa and sat down. I turned on the TV, _Coronation Street_ was on. I didn't pay attention to the episode, I just watched the people move around on screen until Hershel brought two cups of tea over. He put them down on the coffee table and sat down next to me. I shuffled over to him I snuggled into his side.

We stayed there for a couple of minutes, pretending to watch TV. Hershel was the first to break the silence.

'So who else knows?' he asked me.

'Pardon?'

'Who else knows about… you being pregnant?'

'Just Brenda, though I suspect that she told Clark at some point during their 'walk'.'

'I can see that happening.'

'So can I,' I yawned. Hershel let me relax into him. I wanted to stay awake; I had only been up a handful of hours. But within minutes, I fell into the grasp of sleep.

When I woke up, I sensed that I wasn't on the sofa anymore, but I was still snuggled up with Hershel – my head was resting on his shoulder and him arm was wrapped around me protectively. I looked around me without leaning up: I was in my bed. Hershel must have carried me in when I fell asleep. He was such a sweetheart. I came to the conclusion that he was still asleep, as his breathing was deep and slow

I heard the door opening and closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep. I sensed somebody standing at the door looking at Hershel and me.

'Clark! Look at them, they're asleep!' The voice whispered. I recognised it as Brenda's.

I heard footsteps, somebody walking down the hall and stopping at the door.

'That's sweet. You should leave them be.' That was Clark.

'Is it bad luck to wake up a pregnant woman? Because I've already done it today.'

I knew that she would tell Clark.

'Of course it isn't. Don't be ridiculous, Bren.'

'Oh. Right,' I could picture Brenda's frown. 'Now get out of here whilst I wake them up.'

Once again, footsteps made their way up the hallway, but this time in a different direction. As the footsteps faded away, I sensed Brenda slowly and cautiously approach the bed. She leaned over and began to shake me lightly.

'Claire? Claire?' Brenda began by whispering, but quickly grew impatient. 'CLAIRE!'

She jerked me harshly and I leaped up.

'For goodness sake, Brenda! Are you trying to give me a heart attack,' I scolded her.

She shrugged my comment off and pulled me out of bed. 'You've got a visitor in the living room,' she told me.

'What?' I said, rubbing sleep out of my eyes. Hershel had stirred by now and was leaning up in the bed.

'That white-haired one from your Poly-di-whatsoever class,' she said, folding her arms as I brushed off my heavily creased clothes. 'Dimitri Allen!'

I perked my head up. 'Oh, Dimitri's here? I better see what he wants.' I turned around to Hershel. 'I'll be back soon!'

Fixing my hair into a braid, I followed Brenda down the hall to the living room. Dimitri was perched awkwardly on the sofa, holding his knees, his face hidden by his bouncy hair. Brenda nodded at me and made her way over to the kitchen, where Clark was leaning on a counter.

Dimitri looked up at me. 'Claire! I was worried about you! You didn't turn up to Polydimensional Physics or Advanced Chemistry!'

I nodded slightly and sat down on the sofa next to him. 'Yes… I was a bit poorly this morning, so Hershel advised me to stay at home.'

He suddenly looked even more awkward, as though something I had said had unnerved him. 'Ah, so you've been with Hershel all day. Well… at least I know everything's fine now.'

'Yes, now, don't let me hold you up,' I smiled at him. 'No use in worrying over me, now, is there?'

He looked down into his lap, glumly. 'Yes, well… I better go then. Tell everyone that you're fine.'

With that he stood up and left the dorm. I turned to Brenda and Clark. 'I'm assuming you've told him?' I asked her.

Brenda nodded at me. 'Yes, Clark knows. Hershel?'

A voice behind me answered her.

'Yes, I know… If we're talking about what I think we're talking about?' Hershel told her, walking over to me and slipping him hand in mine.

'About how Claire's up the duff? In the pudding club? Eating for two? Got a bun in the oven? Because we're talking about that.'

'Brenda!' I exclaimed, glaring at her. 'Just imagine if I hadn't told him! You shouldn't just blurt things out like that!'

'Oh, loosen up, Claire!' Brenda said, coming over and wrapping her arm around my shoulder. 'Everything's fine! Hershel knows!' She turned around to him. 'You know, don't you?'

He nodded at her.

Clark walked over to Hershel and patted him on the back. 'I'm going to be honest with you, Hershel… I really didn't think that you had it in you.'

I bit back a laugh as Hershel blushed, scarlet red.

'Well, it happened didn't it? What are you going to do?' Brenda asked us as we all sat down on the sofa.

'We were going to go to one of those family planning centres. You know, to discuss our options.' I told her, resting my head on Hershel's shoulder.

Brenda nodded slowly and leaned into Clark. 'That seems like a good idea.' She paused for a moment and then said: 'I'm hungry.'

We all grunted in agreement. 'I suppose Clark and I could go and get some food from a take-out restaurant in the car?' Hershel suggested, to which Clark nodded in agreement.

'Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,' I agreed. 'Whilst you're there I might book an appointment at that family planning centre.'

He nodded at me in approval.

Brenda stood up and went into the kitchen area, where she picked a takeout menu off of the counter. 'How about _Ollie's_? They do great fish and chips!'

Clark took the menu off of her and scanned it. 'Yes, this place seems nice.'

We all read the menu and told the boys our orders. Five minutes later they left the dorm, passing our roommates, Nancy and Maria on the way out. Maria ignored us and walked straight past us to her room – we didn't really have any relationship with either of those two. Nancy, however, stopped to warn us that we would 'be in cavernously deep trouble' if we touched any of the groceries she had bought, and after that she followed Maria to her room.

'Such lovely girls,' Brenda muttered, collapsing onto the sofa. I rolled my eyes at her, and as soon as I heard Nancy and Maria's bedroom door close I grabbed the yellow pages out of the cupboard and looked up family planning centres. It took me a moment to locate 'Gressenheller Contraception Clinic' (an awfully stern name in my opinion). I picked up the phone and dialled the number.

It ringed twice and then a voice on the other end answered: 'This is Gressenheller Contraception Clinic, Dianne speaking. How may I help you?'

I managed to stutter out 'I-I'd like to make an appointment, around t-twelve o'clock tomorrow?'

'We have a twelve-o-five slot?' Dianne replied.

'Yes, that will be fine.'

'And, what's your name?'

'C-Claire Foley.'

'Okay, Miss Foley, is that all?'

'Yes, thank you.'

'Remember that your appointment is at twelve-o-five. Goodbye.' With that, Dianne hung up the phone.

The following day, Brenda woke me up again to get ready for breakfast with the boys.

'Come on,' she said pulling me up. 'You've a big day today – the appointments in three hours, but we need some food in you first.'

I picked out my clothes (a peach vest top with white leggings and a white cardigan) and looked at myself in the full length mirror that stood next to the wardrobe, focusing on my stomach in particular. You couldn't tell that I was pregnant by looking at me – I was as flat as a pancake. But if I concentrated hard, I could see a small lump at the pit of my stomach.

When both Brenda and I were dressed, we made our way to the same café as the day before, where Clark and Hershel were waiting outside. Hershel pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead, then took my hand and led me inside. We all sat down around a table and picked up a menu.

I used my common sense and avoided the omelette today, ordering pancakes with Brenda. The others chatted amongst them, but I didn't say anything.

'Are you alright, Claire?' Hershel asked. 'You've barely touched your food.'

Hesitating slightly, I nodded. 'Yes, just nervous is all.'

At half past eleven, Hershel and I bid Brenda and Clark goodbye and got into his car. I remained silent the entire drive to the clinic, holding Hershel's hand tightly (although his driving with two hands was already disastrous).

The vow of silence was only broken when Hershel said 'We're here.'

I looked out of the window. The building didn't looked quite looming with grey bricks and barred windows that you couldn't even see through due to all of the blinds being closed.

Hershel gave me a few moments to take it in. 'Are you ready?' he asked after a while.

I nodded sheepishly. 'Let's do it.'

We got out of the car and went into the clinic.

**Wow! 2083 words without authors notes! I'm quite proud of myself! That's the longest thing I've ever written on fanfiction (which, in consideration, isn't that amazing considering this is my first fanfic). Most of those words is the word 'nodded' being repeated.**

**Sheila O'Conner: Thanks for reviewing! I'll cross your name off of the delivery list for Flora's risotto! Hershel calling Claire a slut was a nightmare – it was how Claire thought he might react. Really glad you enjoy the story!**

**So what did you all think of this chapter? Loved it? Hated it? Tell me, either way! Review for virtual cookies!**

**englishtiger**

**xxxxxx**


	4. 4: Decisions, Decisions

_**Hola mis amigos**_**! I'm back! I'm surprised at how many people have read this story! :P So anyway, on with **_**el cuento**_**! If you haven't guessed, I'm learning Spanish. Badly. Back to the point: here's chapter 4!**

Hand in hand, we stepped inside the building. It looked a lot more sanitary on the inside than it did outside: The walls were all scrubbed white with pregnancy and health posters dotted about and the floor was cream marble tiles. In a corner, a cascade of blue sofas leaned against some walls, and in another corner a woman in a blue dress sat behind a desk.

Hershel squeezed my hand as we approached the desk.

'I'm Claire Foley. I have an appointment at 12.05?' I told the woman with my heart in my mouth.

She nodded slightly. 'Yes. Take a seat over there and the doctor will call you in soon,' she gestured to the sofas in the corner, where we went to sit down.

It only took a few minutes for them to call my name, but it seemed as though an eternity passed. Curious, I spent the time examining the other people in the waiting area. Across from us was a heavily pregnant woman with a large stomach (would I grow to that size if I kept the baby?). In her hands rested a thick hardback book called 'Pregnancy 101: A New Mother's Guide'. Sat near the woman was a young girl, no older than sixteen, looking down into her lap, sobbing. With one hand she held her father's, and with the other she held her mother's.

My gut wrenched. Oh God. I'd have to tell my parents. Even if I had an abortion, I'd have to tell them. I couldn't just keep it a secret from them for the rest of my life, could I?

My search for an answer was interrupted by a voice calling out of a speaker 'Claire Foley to Dr Jacobs' office.'

I turned to look at Hershel. His face was coated in anticipation, and his hand had grown clammy. He was obviously nervous.

'It's okay,' I assured him, giving his hand a squeeze. 'We can do this.'

He sighed heavily, as though to calm me down, and we walked into the doctor's office.

A woman sat behind the desk in the office. She was quite mature, with slight creases on her face. She had her dirty blonde hair in a bun and a pair of round spectacles perched on her nose. Her smile was warm and welcoming, and made me feel comfortable.

'Hello, dear. My name is Sarah Jacobs, but around here I'm Doctor Jacobs. You must be Claire?'

I nodded at her meekly. 'Yes, I'm Claire, and this is Hershel. He's the…. the father.'

Dr Jacobs laughed slightly. 'I guessed that much Claire. Now, have you had any thoughts about your options?'

'Not really,' I shook my head.

'Well, there are three options. You could end your pregnancy and have an abortion. Or you could carry out your pregnancy and put the baby up for adoption. Or… you could keep the baby and raise it yourself. Do you know how far along you are?'

'Umm… no,' I blushed slightly.

'We'll have to do an ultra-scan then, just to check. We can only perform abortions before the legal limit. Just lie down on that examining table.'

I nodded and hopped on it, pulling my shirt up. Hershel stood next to me, his hand resting on my shoulder. Dr Jacobs slid a plastic glove on her hand and rubbed some clear gel on my stomach delicately.

'It should come up on this scanner,' she told us as an image appeared on the screen. It was difficult to see, but not impossible. I could make out a shape: a little body with a round head and ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes. The machine thumped softly in a rhythm: a heartbeat. The little body inside of me had ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes and a heartbeat. It was alive.

'Oh, God,' I muttered softly. I turned to Hershel. 'I can't do it. I can't kill it.'

He looked at me, with deadly seriousness plastered across his face and only said four words. But the four words made me even more confident with my decision.

'I'll stick by you.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

'So, how did it go?' Brenda asked me as I walked into our bedroom.

'It… It went fine,' I said, sitting down on my bed. 'I've made a decision.'

Her eyes widened eagerly and she sat on the edge of her bed. 'And?'

'I-I'm not going to have an abortion,' I said, closing my eyes.

'Wow! Was _not_ expecting that! What did the Doctor do to convince you?'

I sighed. 'Nothing, actually. It was the ultra-sound. There was a heartbeat, Bren. It's alive. I can't kill it!'

Brenda nodded slowly. 'So what are you going to do when little Pebbles is born?'

I furrowed my eyebrows. 'What did you just call it?'

'Pebbles. You know? Like Pebbles Flintstone off of the Flintstones? Now answer my question.'

'I haven't decided yet.'

'Well, you need to hurry up with that decision,' she paused for a moment, and then her face lit up as though it was Christmas morning. 'You're keeping the baby! You know what that means!?'

'I get fat?'

'No! Well, yes, but that's not what I'm saying. You're going to have to tell your parents!'

I paled drastically whilst she rolled about on the floor in a fit of laughter.

'This isn't funny Bren!'

'Isn't fun- You have to tell your parents, two of the most strict and judgemental creatures to have ever walked the Earth that you are pregnant whilst your unmarried and still in university! Of course it's funny!'

'Brenda! This is serious! I am having a baby!'

'You're having a baby?'

I spun around and Brenda stopped laughing and looked up to see Sabrina standing in the doorway.

'Sabrina!' I exclaimed. 'You're back from Edinburgh!'

'Yeah, Anne and I just got back,' she said, brushing the comment off lightly. 'You're pregnant?'

'Yes! OK? But listen, Sabrina, it's a secret, and you can't tell anybody! Understand?' I rushed out, my heart pounding.

'Yeah,' she said, still seeming shocked. 'I understand… but _you_? Not Ashley or Miranda? _You_?'

Brenda groaned impatiently. 'Yes, Sabby, we get the point, Claire's frigid,' I glared at Brenda. 'But either way, she's up the duff, so deal with it.'

'Umm… Okay.' Sabrina stumbled out of the room in a daze, only to duck back in a moment later. 'Oh, I came in here to ask whether you had any shampoo. I've not washed my hair in five days.'

Brenda grabbed a bottle of shampoo of the dresser and threw it at Sabrina (who surprisingly caught it). She left the room.

Breathing out an exhausted breath, Brenda turned to me. 'Never mind your bloody parents. You're going to have to tell _everyone_. I collapsed back onto my bed and groaned into my pillow.'

…**And we're out! God, that took effort. **

**Yay! There's going to be a Lil' Layton! But I suppose that you already guessed that, because if she had an abortion there would be no story.**

**RedCoCo: I'm happy you're enjoying the story! Yeah, I love Clark and Brenda :)**

**So, anyway (still most used word), review, my pretties, otherwise I'll get you. And your little dog too! (May have just watched Wizard of Oz). **

**englishtiger**

**xxxxxx**


	5. Authors Note

Hey guys!

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while. I don't know when I'll be posting the next chapter because I broke my laptop screen and I don't know when it will be fixed. You know it broke whilst I was writing chapter five? Anyway I'm posting this from my phone.  
>Sorry for the delay!<p>

englishtiger

xxxx


	6. 5: Ideas, Detentions & Dimitri

**Oh My God! I'm back!**

**Sooooo sorry about that… My laptop screen was smashed (out of no fault of my own). I would have posted sooner but the concept of posting via my phone is the bane of my life. Also, school has now finished – meaning I can update Two Blue Lines more often! Anyway… On with chapter 5!**

'You could make them dinner, and then when they come home you could say 'dinner's on the table and _the bun is in the oven_'. That could work!' Brenda suggested, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

'No it couldn't, Bren,' I groaned, collapsing on the bed and burying my face in my pillow.

We were in our room; Brenda and Clark were on her bed and Hershel and I were on mine. In order to avoid another incident like the one with Sabrina, we had the door bolted shut.

'Oh, cheer up, Claire,' Hershel said, rubbing my back. 'We'll find a way to tell them.'

'He's right,' I heard Clark agree. 'I mean, thousands of young girls get pregnant every day, some of them younger then you, and they all seemed to have managed to tell their parents.'

Reluctantly, I pulled myself of the bed and fell into Hershel's arms.

'We can do this,' I said, letting out a sigh.

'Yes we can,' he nodded. 'Now, does anyone have any more ideas?'

The room fell into silence as everyone struggled to solve the seemingly impossible puzzle. Eventually, Brenda broke the vow of silence.

'What if... you don't tell your parents?'

'…'

'…'

'…'

'Sometimes, Brenda, I worry about you,' Clark sighed, putting a hand to his head.

'I'm serious!' Brenda insisted, sitting up properly. 'Claire takes another pregnancy test, we shove it in an envelope and post it to your parents, and _bam_, your parents find out about baby without even having a conversation with you!'

'For a girl studying literature at London's top university, you're not very bright are you?' I laughed loudly and shook my head at her.

'Well, you got any better ideas?' Brenda questioned.

'Any idea could be better than that, Brenda,' I breathed, only just recovering from my fit of laughter.

'Well that wasn't very _ladylike_, was it, Claire?' Brenda teased me, shaking her head mockingly. In response, I threw a pillow at her.

In the corner, Clark looked at the watch on his wrist and interrupted our (for want of a better word) _banter_.

'It's half eight, we better get going. I have Professor Wilson first, and he can be quite strict if you're late to his lesson.'

After an entire week, I was finally returning to my studies. I was originally weary of the concept of actually attending my lessons at first – I hadn't been having the easiest life recently. But after watching back-to-back daytime television, counting all 172 tiles on the kitchen wall and having numerous visits off of concerned teachers and students questioning my absence (my excuse being that I've had a bug) I finally found enough motivation to agree to return.

Once everybody had their things together, we all piled into Hershel's old car. Clark and Hershel sat in front, and talked to each other about some Archaeology essay. Brenda and I sat in the back and chatted between us.

'What have you got first?' Brenda asked me, fiddling with her seatbelt very much like a child would.

'I've got Advanced Chemistry… with Professor Malone,' I cringed. Professor Alberta Malone (AKA Monster Malone) was infamous amongst students throughout Gressenheller. At the start of the year when you received your timetable, you always prayed to God that you didn't have her for any lessons. Being the snide and unreasonable woman she was, she hated anyone in a relationship. At around 55 years old, she was unmarried. People said that she had several boyfriends but she scared every single one away.

What made having her as a teacher a million times worse was that she _loathed_ me. Ever since my very first day at Gressenheller, she showed an obvious dislike for me. The hatred got even worse when she found out I was Hershel's girlfriend (as previously stated, she hated anybody in a relationship). I'm convinced that she spent her free time thinking of ways to make me seem like an utter fool. '

Brenda laughed at my unluckiness. 'Why does she hate you so much?' She chuckled.

'I don't know!' I cried out, distressed. 'I bet at the very first lesson she looked around the class, spotted me and thought '_She looks like she has spirit. Let's break her!_' I'll bet you any money that she did!'

Brenda was in hysterics at this point, clutching her waist as she doubled over. Suddenly, the car came to an abrupt halt, so Brenda banged her head against the back of the passenger seat, and I exploded into peals of laughter.

Brenda frowned and rubbed her head where she had banged it. 'Why did we stop?'

'We're here,' Hershel said from the driver's seat. He had parked us in the student car park at the back of the university. Once we were all out of the car, we bid our goodbyes.

Hershel gave me a hug and kissed my lips. 'Good luck,' he said.

'I'm going to need it.'

He chuckled at me and kissed my forehead, and then left with Clark. Brenda turned to me.

'Have a nice time with Monster Malone,' she teased me whilst giving me a hug. Afterwards, we both went our separate ways to lesson.

As I approached the classroom, I could hear students chatting and screaming and laughing, evidently showing that there was no teacher in the room. I braced myself, knowing that the second I stepped in the class, everyone would be silent and stare at me, and whisper about why I was absent, and start rumours that I was pregnant or something like that. It was a shame the rumours would be right. After taking a deep breath, I entered the room.

Everything continued as normal. Nobody stopped and pointed at me. They couldn't care less that I had just walked in the room. Letting out a sigh of relief, I made my way to my seat next to Dimitri, who had his head buried in a book.

Once I sat down, he looked up from his book and saw me, and he instantly smiled.

'Feeling better?' He asked, placing his book down on the desk.

'Considerably,' I smiled at him. 'Have I missed anything important?'

'Not really. We did have to do an experiment though. I tested how hydrocarbons reacted when mixed with certain elements. You can copy my notes if you like.'

When I was halfway through copying his notes, Monster Malone walked in and the class fell silent. We stood in respect as she made her way to her desk.

'Sit down in silence,' she called as she sat down and pulled out the register and recited from a long list of names.

'Michael Burns?'

'Here, Professor.'

'Anna Daniels?'

'Here, Professor.'

'Helena Docherty?'

'Here, Professor.'

'Claire Foley?'

'Here, Professor.'

She put the sheet down on her desk and the corner of her lips curled slightly.

'Well that's a first in a while now. Have you been bunking off my lesson, Miss Foley?'

'No, Professor… I've been ill.'

She raised an eyebrow. 'Is that so?' She asked, obviously not believing me.

'Professor, it's true,' Dimitri defended me. 'She's been ill all week.'

'Tell me, Mr Allen, did I ask for your input? Did I say she was lying?'

Dimitri remained silent.

'Both of you can have a detention. Tonight, in here. Allen for talking out of place and Foley for bunking off of my lesson.'

'…Professor, you don't have detention at university.' I protested.

'Double detention for backchat. Now, if you could all pull out your notes…'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The day trailed on and on, and at the end of our last lesson, Dimitri and I trudged over to Monster Malone's classroom together. She was waiting at her desk for us.

'Sit down. This detention will last for half an hour. That should teach you not to bunk off or talk out of place.'

We sat in uninterrupted silence for twenty minutes straight, when another teacher came through the door.

'Alberta, we have a… situation. We've caught two students… kissing in the janitor's closet.'

At the word 'kissing' Monster Malone's head snapped up. 'You two, stay here until I return,' she told us, and left the class room.

'What a…' He started as though he was going to swear, but trailed off. 'Fancy punishing someone for being ill!'

'Yeah,' I sighed in agreement.

Monster Malone wasn't a hundred percent wrong; I wasn't ill, I was _pregnant_. But, Dimitri didn't know that. _But he should_ I said to myself. I started a debate with myself of whether or not I should tell Dimitri.

_He's one of your best friends._

Yes, but…

_He cares about you._

Yes, but what will he think of me? I'm the responsible one!

_Right now, this very second, you are looking him in the face and straight-out lying._

Finally finishing my mental argument, I made my decision.

'Dimitri?'

'Yes?' He turned to face me.

'S-she's right. I wasn't ill.'

His brows furrowed in confusion. 'What? Then why were you off?'

I put my face in my hands. 'Oh, God. I don't know how to tell you this.'

'Claire?' He asked, putting a hand on my back. 'Are you alright?'

'Dimitri, I'm pregnant.'

He froze. Everything was silent for a few seconds. 'W-What?'

I sighed. 'I'm pregnant.'

He paused. 'Is it Hershel's?'

'Of course!' I looked at him in disbelief. 'Do you believe I would _cheat_ on him?!'

'N-no, of course not, but… wow.' He ran a hand through his hair. 'You're pregnant.'

'Yes,' I nodded slowly, not sure where he was taking this conversation.

'Does, err… Does Hershel know?'

'Yes,' I nodded. 'And so does Brenda and Clark.'

Dimitri went to say something, but shut up quickly as Monster Malone entered the room.

'You two can leave now. From now on, I expect to see you in lessons and in _silence_. Understood?'

We nodded in unison and scurried out of the classroom.

Dimitri volunteered to give me a lift home, which I accepted gratefully. The drive was quick, no longer than five minutes, and when we arrived I invited him inside. Inside, Hershel was sat on the couch sipping a cup of tea and watching television, Brenda was sat on the floor, surrounded by various different nail polishes and painting her nail, and Clark in the kitchen, staring at the toaster impatiently.

'Claire! Where were you?' Brenda grins up at me from the floor.

'I had a detention,' I explained quickly. 'Erm… just so you all know, Dimitri knows now.'

Everybody looked up, surprised.

'You mean… _knows_ knows?' Clark asked.

'Yes.'

Brenda jumped up and bounced over to us and shook Dimitri's hand. 'Welcome to the club. So far we've established that Claire's not having an abortion, been to an appointment at a family planning centre, and struggled to find ideas of how to tell Claire's parents. Any ideas?'

'E-erm… n-no…?' Dimitri stuttered, trying to pull his hand away from Brenda's grip.

'Leave the poor man alone, Brenda,' Clark scolded from the kitchen.

'You're… keeping it?' Dimitri asked me, rubbing the hand that Brenda had let go of.

I nodded. 'I-I don't think I could ever have the heart to kill somebody before they've even lived.'

'…Okay. I think I get where you're coming from.'

At that moment, Clark walked in with a plate of toast and a teapot.

'Tea, Claire, Dimitri?'

We both nodded at him. I sat myself down next to Hershel, and gestured for Dimitri to sit down as well. He did so humbly. Brenda returned to her seat on the floor and continued to paint her nails.

'Anybody had any further ideas?' I asked.

The entire room remained silent. 'Thought not,' I sighed.

For a few minutes we sat and watched television, though I suspect none of us actually paid attention. The vow of silence was eventually broken by Dimitri: 'Why don't you just tell them?'

'Hmm?' We all looked up in confusion.

'Well, is it necessary to make a big scene out of the whole thing? Can't you just tell them?'

'…That might work, actually,' Brenda commented.

'Yes… it might.' I agreed, nodding slowly.

'You can arrange to meet them after lessons one day and… tell them,' Hershel suggested, taking a sip of his tea.

'Yes… yes I finish lessons at 2pm tomorrow. I'll arrange something.' I decided, still nodding. 'In fact, I'll call them now.'

I stood up and walked over to the phone and pressed in their number. With my heart in my mouth, I pressed dial. The phone rung twice before somebody picked up.

'Hello?' A voice asked from down the phone.

'Hiya Dad.'

'Claire, dear! How are you?'

'I-I'm fine. I was just wondering… would you and Mum like to go out for dinner tomorrow?'

'Wait a minute, let me ask your mother,' I heard the sound of him placing the phone on a surface, and then picking it up again. 'Yes! Of course! Where?'

'Um… That little bistro we used to go to next to the Thames? At 4?'

'Yes, we'll be there!'

'Well… goodbye then. I love you.'

'Love you too, Claire. See you tomorrow!'

He hung up the phone and I turned to everyone else in the room.

'Okay then,' I said, putting my hands on my hips. 'Battle-tactics.'

**Aaannnndddd… that's a wrap! 2,272 words! I thinks that deserves a round of applause! *clap*.**

**MadMoomin: Yay! Lil' Layton! I'm really considering making this an AU story where Claire isn't dead… but I haven't got any ideas of how to get her out of that situation :'(**

**Mihoshi 2.0: Hehehehe… I can't wait either, Hershel's awkward with personal stuff already; I have no clue how he's going to act with a pregnant woman. I'm glad you're enjoying the story!**

**So… did you like it? Tell me! Review, it keeps me motivated. Also, do you want a baby boy or a baby girl? I'm putting a poll on my page so… check that out there.**

**englishtiger**

**xxxx**


	7. 6: 'Parents Suck'

**Happy 2015! First chapter of the year! I'm back! Yayyyyyy! Sorry about that – I started this chapter, like, three minutes after posting the previous one, but got completely distracted by Christmas and New Year. We went back to school on Monday, and I spent the time between New Year's Day and going back to school in bed, moping about going back to school. So now it's like two in the morning, and I've finally got an update for you! Here it is!**

My eyes fixated on my reflection. I stood with my side facing the mirror, concentrating hard, until I reached my decision:

'I have a bump,' I stated plainly.

Brenda sighed and put down the magazine she was reading. 'Well, you _are_ pregnant.'

'I know… but now you can tell! I won't need to tell my parents, they'll know as soon as they look at me.'

'Just wear a baggy jumper, you'll be fine.'

Sighing, I pulled my shirt down over my swollen stomach and sat down on my bed. 'How long will the boys be?' I asked her.

'About... 20 minutes. That's enough time to get changed,' she told me, consulting the clock. 'Claire?'

'Yes?'

'Are you sure you want to go in alone? I mean, I don't know about Clark, but both me and Hershel are perfectly willing to go with you.'

I sighed again. The previous night, I had made the decision to tell my parents alone. 'I think they might react better if Hershel's not there. If he is, it's more likely that they'll be consumed with anger.'

Brenda nodded slowly. 'Okay. Now hurry up! They'll be here soon.' 15 minutes later I was wearing a completely different outfit – a light green jumper that went down to my thighs and some simple blue jeans. When we left our room, the boys were waiting for us in the living room.

'Are you ready,' Hershel asked me, reaching his hand out.

'No… But yes, let's get this over with,' I replied excepting his hand. We all left the flat together and piled into the car. I sat in the passenger seat and held Hershel's hand tightly, and I spotted Clark and Brenda snuggling at the back in the mirror.

It only took us about ten minutes to reach the Thames. Hershel parked the car on a street at the back of a row of shops. Everybody scurried out of the tiny car.

'Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?' Hershel asked me, holding my hands in his.

'Yes,' I nodded at him, my eyes closed. 'I think it's for the best.'

He didn't say anything; he just held me close and kissed me goodbye.

When he let go, Brenda came up and hugged me herself. 'Good luck,' she whispered over my shoulder, giving me a quick squeeze.

Even Clark gave me a hasty hug. 'Don't get killed,' he warned me.

'I'll try my best,' I chuckled.

Once he had pulled away, I looked at them all. 'Where can I find you afterwards?'

'In that coffee shop,' Brenda said, gesturing at a small coffee shop down the parade of shops.

'Okay.' I took a deep breath to steady myself. 'I'm ready. Wish me luck.'

With my heart in my mouth, I entered the bistro. It only took me moments to locate my parents. They were sat in a booth in the corner, chatting with each other. Spotting the smiles plastered on their faces, my gut wrenched. I knew that in a few minutes, they wouldn't be smiling. No, their faces would be covered in anger and sadness and _disappointment_. All of a sudden, I regretted not accepting one of Hershel and Brenda's many offers to come with me.

I was tempted to turn around and leave, simply avoid the task of telling my parents completely, but my father noticed me standing at the door. Grinning, he waved his hand in the air to catch my attention. I forced myself to smile back and made my way to the table.

'Claire, dear!' My mother exclaimed, wrapping her arms around me. 'I haven't seen you in so long!'

'Hi Mum,' I pulled away from her and she sat down.

'Nice to see you, sweetheart,' Dad chuckled, kissing my cheek. 'Sit, sit!'

I let out a loose giggle and sat across the table, and grabbed a menu.

'Claire, look at your hair! It's so long! You know you really should do something with it – you'd look so lovely…'

I let her ramble on, using the time to debate how to break the news to them. After a few minutes, I finally decided that it was time to tell them.

'That's great, Mum, but… But there's a reason that I invited you here today,' I sighed placing my hands on the table and clasping them together.

'Oh?' she asked.

'Yes,' I nodded. 'Umm… I don't know how to tell you this…'

'Such suspense,' Dad chuckled, leaning back in his seat. 'Come on Claire, it can't be that bad.'

I looked down into my lap and muttered: 'You have no idea.'

'Claire!' My mother scolded me. 'A lady shouldn't mutter, nor make snarky remarks.'

'I'm sorry,' I responded. 'It's just… If I tell you will you be angry?'

'Well it depends what you say, doesn't it!' Mum shook her head and I whimpered. Hearing my cry, she softened her voice and reached over the table to take my hand in hers. 'Just tell us. If there's a problem, we can't help until we know about it.'

I breathed in slowly and closed my eyes. 'I'm pregnant.'

My mother leaped over the table and wrapped her arms around me. 'Oh, my baby! My poor baby!' She sobbed.

My father just sat in his seat, stunned.

She pulled away and cupped my face. 'How did this happen?!'

My face flushed. 'I think you know how this happened.'

She tutted. 'How could you be so irresponsible? I thought better of you and Hershel… assuming it is Hershel's?'

'Mum! Of course it's Hershel's!' I exclaimed in disbelief. 'And we did use protection... but it didn't work.'

'Yes, I figured that much, Claire,' she sighed. 'Don't worry, darling. Your father and I will help, won't we Terence?' She turned to Dad, who was still staring into the distance, stunned. 'I'll take that as a yes.'

She turned to me. 'You could go to the NHS, or if you prefer, we'll pay for private. Private would probably get it all over with quicker though.'

'O-Oh. Oh, God. Mum, I've already decided that I'm keeping the baby.'

She snorted. 'You can't be serious, Claire. Look at you! You're barely old enough to look after yourself, let alone a baby!'

'Mum, I've thought very hard about this and…'

'And nothing Claire! You're still in school!'

'University isn't school…'

'University is a form of education – that counts as school. You're not even married, for goodness sake!'

'Mum! I've made my decision and _that's that_!'

She stood up and grabbed her coat. 'You know what, fine. You go, Claire, and you ruin your life. Call us when you've come to your senses!' She pulled my father up and out of the bistro by his arm, leaving me alone in the booth. My head fell into my hands and I groaned.

It took me a couple of moments to pull myself together, wipe my eyes and leave the bistro. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I made my way to the coffee shop Brenda had pointed out before. I spotted Hershel and Clark sat at a small table instantly and I joined them without hesitation.

'How did it go?' Hershel asked as I pulled a chair up from another table.

'Not great.'

'What did they say?' He asked as he pulled me close to him and I snuggled into his shoulder.

'Well at least you didn't get killed,' I heard Clark sigh.

'I tried my best,' I chuckled. 'Where's Brenda?'

'She ran off to do some shopping,' Clark informed me, taking a sip of his coffee. 'She said she wanted to… speak of the devil.'

The bell above the door chimed as Brenda entered the coffee shop, carrying a plastic shopping bag with her. She made her way over to us and pulled up a chair.

'What did mother and father say?' She asked me, taking a sip of Clark's coffee and then grimacing. 'This is stone cold.'

'I've basically just been disowned.'

She sighed. 'Parents suck.'

'I know,' I sighed, burrowing further into Hershel.

Everyone was silent for a couple of moments, until Brenda eventually asked: 'Why are we still here?'

'Good question,' I replied, and we all gathered our belongings and left.

Twenty minutes later, we were back at the dorm. We went straight to mine and Brenda's room (as Maria, Anne, Nancy and Sabrina had used the time that we were absent to reclaim the communal living space, which is understandable as we had basically dominated it for the past two weeks). Everybody made themselves comfortable: Hershel and I sitting on my bed, Clark collapsing on to Brenda's, and Brenda sitting cross-legged on the floor.

'It's quite a squeeze in here, isn't it?' Brenda commented, looking around the room.

'It's only meant for two people and there's four of us in here,' I sighed. 'We were the last to move in – we must have got the smallest room.'

'Where's the baby going to sleep?' she asked me.

I froze. I hadn't thought about that. 'Actually, I haven't thought about that. I don't think we could fit a cot in here. And I'm pretty sure the other tenants wouldn't take well to a baby crying. Boys?'

Clark snorted. 'I doubt a baby would fare well in a cramped flat with six men.'

'We'll have to move out,' Hershel remarked.

'Can we _afford_ to move out, though?'

'Not really. Do we have much of a choice, though?' He asked me, putting his arm around me.

'I suppose not,' I sighed into my lap.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Insomnia struck me hard that night. I lay in bed, flat on my back, staring at the ceiling, Brenda's deep breaths echoing from the other side of the room. The clock on the wall alerted me that it was nearly four in the morning, and I had yet to sleep. The past day's events bounced around in my mind.

My mother had disowned me. I found it awfully ironic – she'd always wanted a daughter, and after three sons she had given up; it was a miracle that I came along. Yet she was so willing to give up her only daughter upon finding out that said daughter is pregnant. I hoped that I would be a more committed mother than her. Then, to make matters worse, we finally realised that we were going to need somewhere to live. Although, we could hardly afford it: our only income was our student loans, and after that day's events, we could be fairly certain that my parents wouldn't be financially assisting us.

My thoughts were interrupted by a surge of nausea, causing me to leap out of my bed, dash to the toilet and be violently sick. After a few minutes of persistent vomiting, I was finally able take a breath and lean against the cold bathroom wall. I panted and clutched my stomach in agony, when I heard a small scuffling noise coming from the other side of the door.

_Knock, knock._

Somebody knocked on the door and I cursed under my breath. Being caught throwing up was not the most ideal thing to happen whilst trying to hide the fact that you're pregnant.

'Are you alright?' a voice whispered from the other side of the door. 'It's Sabrina.'

I breathed a sigh of relief and pulled myself up, holding on to the sink for support. 'Yes, I'm fine. Wait a moment,' I said as I flushed the toilet and promptly opened the door. Sabrina was stood in the doorway, rubbing her eyes. She wore a pink nightgown under a white dressing gown, which was wrapped tightly around her waist.

'What are you doing up at this hour?' I asked her, leaving the bathroom and making my way into the living room.

'I heard you retching and it woke me up,' she yawned, following me. 'I was the only one who heard it. Was it morning sickness?'

'Yes,' I nodded. 'Very misleading name, though. It comes when it chooses, not necessarily in the morning.'

She chuckled lightly and then paused. 'Claire…? Can I ask you something?'

'Go ahead.'

'I-I don't mean to be nosy but… what are you going to do with it?'

'We've… decided to keep it.'

'Oh,' she said and rubbed the back of her neck. 'I guess that means that everyone's going to find out soon… goodnight, Claire.'

'G-Goodnight,' I blurted out and returned to my bedroom, where I promptly collapsed on the bed and mentally swore at myself. It had only just occurred to me that pretty soon, I was going to have to tell everybody that I was pregnant, just like Sabrina had said.

**Phew! It's done… only took me 18 days :P. But, during my absence, I did something for Professor Layton I have struggled with for years now: I figured out a timeline. Okay: this story takes place in 1952, and Hershel and Claire are both 20. The events of Lost/Unwound Future take place in 1969, when Hershel is 37 and the baby is 16-17. Claire dies 10 years prior to this, in 1959, when the baby is 6-7 and Claire and Hershel are both 27. Took me a while to come up with that…**

**I was originally going to have both Claire and Hershel tell her parents, but then I was going to do this mini side plot thing with Brenda, and I needed Hershel with Brenda to do it, so I sent them to the coffee shop whilst Claire made the announcement. Then I realised that the side plot completely contradicted the timeline I'm basing this around so I had to write it out, but I left Hershel in the café with Clark and Brenda.**

**chloemcg: Aww… I can just picture Layton making one of the baby's potential love interests very uncomfortable by making very ungentlemanly threats about what will happen if they break his child's heart… Glad to see your enjoying this!**

**RedCoCo: I'm happy to see that you're happy to have me back. It makes me feel welcome :) I took your vote into account, but I'm not making a final decision for a chapter or two yet. **

**Guest: Haha! I really wanted to put Dimitri in some way, because, y'know it's **_**Dimitri. **_**However, I thought he'd only be Claire's friend, seeing as he hasn't really got much in common with the others, so I imagined he wouldn't be very comfortable around them. Glad you liked it! :D**

**MadMoomin: Wow, I'd never thought about it like that, and it wouldn't be Professor Layton without Luke… but the final decision remains with the voters. Glad you're enjoying the story *bows to the applause***

**So I'm keeping the vote open for another chapter or two (not 100% sure exactly how many, but I'll keep you updated). Taking the reviews, poll results, and PMs into account, I can sort of see what genders in the lead… but so far it's pretty close! Anyway, what did you think about this chapter! REVIEW! TELL ME!**

**englishtiger**

**xxxxxx**


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